Cleaning machine



April 20, 1943. w. F. OLIVER CLEANING MACHINE Filed June 30, 1939 2Sheets-Sheet l zlllllrllllllll 0 Px .fag

f? 7% ed? April 20, 1943. w. F. OLIVER CLEANING MACHINE Filed June 30,1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 20, 1943 CLEANING MACHINE Wallace F.Oliver, South Bend, Ind., assignor to i Bendix Home Appliances, Inc.,South Bend,

Ind., a corporation of Delaware Application June 30, 1939, Serial No.282,108

4 Claims.

This invention relates to cleaning machinesand more particularly to theconstruction of a door through which material may be inserted into andremoved from a washing machine.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a cleaning machinehaving a glazed door in which a liquid tight seal is formed between theglazing and the door and between the door and the tub of the machine.According to one important feature lboth seals are resiliently formed soas to remain tight in spite of slight variations of size, wear and thelike.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cleaning machine havinga tub and a material container therein formed with registering openingsin which cleaning liquid is injected directly into the containeropening. Preferably the liquid supply pipe extends along the outside ofthe tub and is held in place by fastening means for a door closing thetub opening.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a glazed doorconstruction particularly adapted for use in cleaning machines in whicha glazed sheet is resiliently hel'd in place in the door frame toprovide a liquid tight seal therewith. One particular feature relates toa resilient clamping ring formed yieldingly to hold the sheet in theframe.

Yet another object is to provide a door construction having a combinedsealing and drip ring adapted to form a resilient seal around a tubopening when the door is closed and to act as a drip ring when the dooris open.

Other objects, advantages, and novel features of the invention will beapparent from the following description of the embodiment shown in theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a partial front elevation of a washing machine embodying theinvention;

Figures 2 and 3 are enlarged sections on the lines 2--2 and 3-3 ofFigure 1;

Figure 4 is an enlarged section through the door;

Figure 5 is a partial section on the line 5-5 of Figure 1; and

Figure 6 is a section on the line 6--6 of Figure 5.

The machine illustrated is an automatic washing machine of the type moreparticularly described and claimed n Bassett and Chamberlin UnitedStates Patent No. 2,165,884, dated July 11, 1939. It will be understood,however, that various features of the invention are applicable tomachines of other types either separately or in combination.

The illustrated machine comprises an outer casing or cabinet Ill formedwith a substantially circular opening I2 in its front wall and havingmounted therein a stationary tub I4v formed with a central opening I6registering with the opening I2. A perforated container or drum I8 isrotatably mounted in the tub and hasv an opening 20 registering with butspaced slightly from the opening I6. The tub is rotatably supported atits rear end and is driven throughka motor and transmission under thecontrol of suitable automatic control devices not shown herein but whichmay be of the type disclosed in said Patent No. 2,165,884.

The opening I6 in the tub is adapted to be closed by a door formed by anannular sheet metal frame 22 having a at projection 24 at one side andasimilar projection 25 at its diametrically opposite side. The frame'22includes a substantially axially extending flanged portion 26 ofslightly smaller diameter than the opening I6 terminating in an inturnedange 28. The central portion of the door is closed by a sheet of glassor the like 30 through which an operator may observe the interior of themachine during operation.

In order to seal the sheet 30 into the door frame a sealing ring 32 ofrubber or other yield-I ing material is arranged around the periphery ofthe sheet and is formed with a groove to receive the edge thereof. Thesheet and sealing ring are such a size as to fit within axiallyextending portion 26 of the door frame adjacent` the inturned flange 28and are secured in place4 by a split ring 34 fitting Within an annulargroove 36 in the portion 26.

The ring 34 is formed of sheet metal of arcuate cross section with arolled bead -36 at its outer edge to fit within the groove 36 and withits mid portion curved arcuately so that its inner edge 40 liessubstantially in the plane of one side of the bead 38 and engages thesealing ring 32 adjacent its inner edge. Normally the ring is slightlylarger in diameter than the groove 36 and when compressed radially toforce it into the groove, it is distorted slightly so that its inneredge 40 tends to move axially. Due to this feature and to the resilientconstruction of the ring the edge 40 presses against the inner edge ofthe sealing ring 32 with a resilient force which holds the sealing ringtightly in engagement with the glass sheet 3U regardless of slightvariations in size of the parts or of any tendency of the sealing ringto take a. permanent set. Due to this arrangement, asbest seen in Figure4. the sealing ring is compressed between the split ring 34 and theilange 28 so that it is sealed tightly against both the door frame andthe glass sheet. f

On the outer periphery of the portion 26 there is arranged a secondsealing ring 42 of rubber or the like having a relatively wide baseportion fitting against the portion 26 and with an integral radial rib44 extending outwardly therefrom. When-the door is closed as seen inFigures 2 and 3, the rib 44 engages the tub I4 around the openingtherein and is distorted by the tub so as to form a resilient sealtherewith. Due to resiliency of this rib, the seal will bev maintainedregardless of slight variations in size or of Wear of parts.

According to another feature oi the invention the rib 44 also acts as adrip ring when the door is open to prevent liquid from running down ontothe outer parts of the door frame. Since the inner surface of the dooris exposed to liquid during operation, this liquid tends to run down thedoor when it is open and will drip from the outer edge of the rib 44instead of following the door to the outer portion thereof. This assistsin keeping the machine clean and prevents accumulation of cleaningliquids such as soap suds on the outer portions of the door.

'I'he door is secured to the tub through a novel hinge constructionformed by hinge plates 46 bolted to the tub adjacent one side of theopening I6 and provided with shims 48 spacing the plates the desireddistance from the door. The plates are rolled over at their inner endsas best seen in Figure 6 at 50 to provide substantially circularjournals for rotatably receiving a hinge pin. At the extreme outerportion each plate is cut away to provide a bent-in tab 52 forming astop to limit opening of the door as will appear hereinafter.

The extending portion 24 of the door is secured to a tubular hinge pin54 whose ends are journalled in the rolled over portions 50 of the hingeplates 46. The extreme outer ends of the tubular pin 54 are cut away at56 and the tabs 52 extend into the cut-away portions. When the door isclosed the parts occupy the relationship shown in Figure 6, but as thedoor is opened one edge of the pin 54 adjacent the cut-away portion willengage the tab to limit opening movement of the door.

The door is held closed by a rotatable latch 58 carried by the extendingportion25 of the door frame and having an operating handle 68. The latchis engageable with the end of a latch plate 62 bolted to the tub I4 andprojecting into the back of the latch when the door is closed.

Cleaning liquid is introduced into the machine through a pipe 64 fromany desired liquid source.

As seen in Figure 2 the pipe extends along the iront face of the tub I4,preferably lying in a groove therein and passesunder the latch plate 62.The latch plate thus serves to hold the pipe 64'rigidly in place on thetub. The end of the pipe 64 extends to a nozzle member 66 which projectsthrough the wall of the tub I4 and is arranged to discharge liquiddirectly into the opening 20 in the container or drum I8. In this waythe cleaning liquid is discharged directly onto the material in the drumand this feature is particularly important in connection with rinsing ofclothes follow ing the washing operation.

While one embodiment of the invention has been shown and described indetail, it will be understood that it is illustrative only and is notintended as a definition of the scope of the invention, reference beinghad for this purpose to the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a cleaning machine having a tub formed with an opening therein,the combination of a door pivoted adjacent said opening to close thesame, said door comprising an annular ring having a flanged portion atits inner edge, a circular sheet of transparent material fitting in saidflanged portion. an annular sealing ring having a groove thereinreceiving the edge of said sheet and engaging said anged portion, and asheet metal ring of curved cross-section engaging the annular ring andthe sealing ring at spaced points and resiliently pressing the sealingring against said sheet.

2. A door construction for cleaning machines or the like comprising anannular sheet metal ring formed with a substantially axially extendingportion terminating in an inturned ilange, a sheet 'of transparentmaterial fitting within said axially extending portion, a scaling ringhaving a groove receiving the edge of said sheet and engaging theinturned flange, said axially extending portion being iormed with anannular groove spaced from said flange, and a split ring of sheet metalsubstantially arcuate in cross section having its outer edge fitting insaid latter groove and its inner edge engaging the sealing ring adjacentthe inner edge thereof, said split ring being resilient and resilientlyurging the sealing ring against the sheet and the flange.

3. A door construction for cleaning machines or the like comprising anannular sheet metal ring formed with a substantially axially extendingportion terminating in an inturned flange, a sheet of transparentmaterial tting within said axially extending portion, a sealing ringlying between said sheet of transparent material and the inturnedflange, said axially extending portion being provided with an internalabutment spaced from said ilange, and a resilient split ring ofrelatively wide and thin cross section spring dished with its outer edgeengaging behind said abutment and' its inner edge pressing the sheet oftransparent material against the sealing ring, whereby the torsionimparted to the metal of the split ring by conning its externalcircumference yieldingly compresses said sealing ring and holds saidtransparent material in place,

4. Holding means for a glazed door or the like comprising an annularsplit ring of resilient sheet metal of curved section formed with arolled bead at its outer edge and with its inner edge portion curvedaround from the plane of the other side of the bead and in spacedrelation thereto, the length of the inner edge being greater than thecircumference of a circle having a radius equal to the radius of theouter portion of the bead less the distance from the outer to the inneredges of the split ring, whereby the ring tends to distort whencompressed radially to move the inner edge axially toward the member tobe held, and abut` ment against which the outer circumference ol thesplit ring reacts. 1

WALLACE F. OLIVER.

